Electric-lamp push-socket.



L, F. LINDSTROM. ELECTRIC LAMP PUSH SOCKET.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 2, 1912.

1,098741. Y Patented June 2,1914.

1 37 mm v gym-553% A, Ii 35 I 15 55 Ill MWAfiM 2 t UNITED STATES PATENTonion,

LOUIS F. LINDSTROM, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASS IGNOR- TO HARVEYHUBBELL.

INC., 01? BRIDGEPOR-T, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC-LAMP PUSH-SOCKET.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Lotus F. LINDSTROM, a. subject of the Kingof Sweden,and resident of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectric-Lamp Push-Sockets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in incandescentlamp sockets, and refers particularly to push button operating mechanismfor use in connection with sockets of the type shown and described inpatent to Hubbell #565,541.

The object of the invention is to improve upon incandescent lamp socketsof this general type by providing a single push button operatingmechanism, that isat all times in position to be. operated and which bysuccessive-operations serves to alternately turn the current on and off.The advantages of an operating mechanism of this sort is that the socketmay be operated by one hand, in a way that the fingers of the hand willsteady the light,- while the thumb of the same hand presses the buttonwithout materially disturbing the position of the light as would be thecase with many other forms of sockets, including the pull sockets whichinvariably cause the lamp to swing for a time after being operated bythe chain; further to provide a simple, compact and practical form ofsocket which may be manufactured and sold at practically the same priceas the pull socket.

With these and other objects in view the invention resides and consistsin the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts shown 1nthe accompany ng drawings forming a part of this specification,

and upon which,

Figure 1, 1s a side view of my improved electric lamp socket, the shellor casing thereof being shown in section. Fig. 2,'is a Specification ofLetters Patent. 7 i te t 2, 1 Application filed August 2,1912. SerialNo. 712,868. 5

an operated position to agree with the 'posit-ion of the parts shown 1nF1 4, and, Big. (3, 1s a detached plan view or the rotatable metal platewhich is operated from time to time to make and break tions of thesocket,

Referring in detail to the characters of reference marked upon thedrawings 10 denotes a shell or casing forinclosing the operative partsof the socket, 11 'an insulating lining therefor and 12 a cap for theshell which is also provided with an insulat-ive lining 1-3. This shellobviously serves toinclose the operative parts of the socket which arecontained within a frame formed in part of insulating blocks, posts,etc., as will later he explained, the said parts being detachablycontained within the shell and Ct i g i I V 14 represents the upperinsulating block and 15 the lower insulating block.

16, 17 and 18 represent metal posts, the upper and lower ends of whichare attached to the respective insulating blocks by means of screws asshown. T he said posts 16 and 17 are provided with binding screws 19 and20 for the attachment of the two electric wires 21 that are disposed up,through pockets 9 of the upper block l-.l-. 1il(l 0:11

the connec ried out through the central opeuingj'lil in the hub of thecap 12. M

An additional.support 2 is arranged along side of the post lSand is alsosecured to the two insulating blocks 14 and 15 in a way to be held in aliked position. A, tubular guide 25 is suitably secured in this'latterpostQi to accommodate the push lurf'tonltl that is slidably mountedtherein; One end of a link 27 is pivotallv" conuected to this pushbutton 26 and "the .other end pivoted to a stud secured'to anoperating"member3G mounted on a post 29. p

A rotary contact plate 93 is mounted upon the central post 29 that isinsulatedly sup-- ported between the two insulating blocks 14. and 15.This 'plate is provided with two .angularly deflected yielding. arms 30that -providedwith shoulders 2% that are preferably formed when stampingout the plate, as shown in Fig. 6, leaving the plate and its shouldersfree to be engaged by the lllii plates.

several beveled teeth 35 on the under side of the operating member 36.This 0 erating member is pivotally hung upon t e be fore mentioned post29 in a way to be op erated by the push button and in turn rotate thecontact plate. One end of a sprin 37 is connected to the upperinsulating b ock 1a and its other end is attached to the said operatingmember 36 in a way to hold the said operating member in its normalposition, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.- The teeth of the said operatingmember are at all times in engagement with the plate and serve to engagethe shoulders of the con tact plate so that when the push button 26 ispressed in, the'operating member will rotate the said contact plate 28,causing its downwardly extended yielding arms 30 to be drawn around uponthe inclined surfaces 31, 32 and 33 of the lower insulating block 15 andso that the twosaid arms will simultaneously engage the respectiveinclines of the base and the inclined fixed There are obviously four ofthese raised incline surfaces formed on the lower insulating block 15,two oppositely located ones of which are bare and the other two arecovered with metal. The metal covering or plate 32 is secured inposition by a screw 38 that also electrically connects it with the saidpost 16 and binding screw 19. The

other metal plate 33 connects with the central screw 39 and clip 4.0 forconnection with the lamp when the same is screwed in position in thethreaded shelletl of the socket and made in. to register with the clip.This operating member 36 is provided with an extended arm 42 to engagethe post 16 and to form a stop to limit the action of the beforementioned spring 37 connected to said opcratingmember. The spring 37also exerts a downward pressure upon both the rotary plate 28 and theoperating member 36 so as to insure the arms of the said plate snuglycontacting with the metal covered inclined plates 32 and 33 'secured tothe lower block. This rotary contact plate can obviously be moved in butone direction by reason of the shoulders formed against the high ends ofthe inclined surfaces 31, 32 and 33 and by reason of the teeth 35 of theoperating memher being beveled to ride back over the sur face of therotary plate.

From the foregoing construction it will be noted that with an inwardthrust or push of the button 26 as shown .in Figs. 1 and 2,'theoperating member is swung around against the action of its spring, to

the position shown in Fig. 4, and therewith rotates the operating platea quarter turn, drawing its oppositely arranged yielding arms from theinclined insulated surfaces and upon the inclined metal surfaces 32 and33. A second operation will further draw the arms from the said inclinedmetal surface back upon the insulated surfaces, thereby making andbreaking the circuit through the socket with-each push of the button.vThe spring 37 further serves to force the button out again whenreleased, to return the parts to their normal position. When the rotaryplate of the socket is positioned so that the yielding arms are incontact with the contact plates 32 and33, the current will obviouslypass'through the rotary plate to complete the circuit, whereas whengiven a quarter turn the contact again becomes broken.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire tosecure byLetters Patent is In an electric switch socket,

cent their outer edges, a central post connecting said blocks, anoperating plate, a contact plate, a spiral spring circumscribing said.central post with its upper end attached to the upper of said insulatingblocks and its lower end attached to the upper face of said operatingplate and an outwardly extending arm carried by said operating plateadapted to engage with one of said posts to limit the return movement ofsaid operating plate.

Signed at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State ofConnecticut, this 24th day of July, A. D., 1912.

p Louis F. LINDSTROM. Witnesses:

MILDRED MACLEOD, RUTH M. Wommn.

copies at thin patent may be obtained for five cents each, by droningthe Commissioner 0! intents,

. Washington, D. 0.

the combi-' nation with a shell, of two insulating blocks spaced apartby a plurality of posts adja-

